1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a dispenser for a refrigerator, which can allow water to be dispensed outside without opening a door of the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Refrigerators recently sold on the market have dispensers that allow water to be dispensed from the interiors of the refrigerators to the outside without opening doors of the refrigerators. Since the dispensers can allow water to be dispensed without opening the doors of the refrigerators, they can prevent cold air within the refrigerators from leaking out and also provide users with convenience of use of the refrigerators. The dispensers are typically installed at the doors of the refrigerators. Generally, a portion of an outer surface of a door of each refrigerator is recessed inward, and a dispenser is then installed within the recessed portion.
FIG. 1 shows a front face of a refrigerator with a dispenser. In the refrigerator, a storage space is formed within a main body 10 of the refrigerator. The storage space roughly comprises a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber. The refrigerating and freezing chambers are opened and closed by a refrigerating chamber door 12 and a freezing chamber door 14, respectively. Reference numerals 16 and 16′ designate handles for the doors of the refrigerator.
A dispenser 18 is provided on a front surface of the door 12. The dispenser 18 is supplied with water from the main body 10 through a water supply tube 20 installed within the door 12. The water supply tube 20 is installed through a hinge portion on which the door 12 pivots to be opened and closed.
The dispenser 18 is provided with a water-dispensing button 24 operated by a user, and a dispensing port 26 at a position adjacent to the water-dispensing button 24. Water delivered from a water reservoir (not shown) installed within the main body 10 through the water supply tube 20 is discharged from the dispensing port 26. That is, when the user pushes the water-dispensing button 24 upward, the water delivered from the water reservoir (not shown) installed within the main body 10 is discharged from the dispensing port 26.
The dispensing port 26 is typically provided on a ceiling of a recessed portion in the door 12 where the dispenser 18 is installed. The water-dispensing button 24 is formed to protrude behind and downward beyond the dispensing port 26. Reference numeral 28 designates a water-collecting portion for collecting remaining water.
Meanwhile, FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a major portion of the dispenser 18. That is, the water-dispensing button 24 is mounted slidably upward and downward in the dispenser 18, an actuating switch 30 is placed at a relatively upper position over the water-dispensing button 24, and the dispensing port 26 is installed at an upper position above and in front of the water-dispensing button 24 and at a leading end of the water supply tube 20 so as to discharge water downward.
Therefore, when the water-dispensing button 24 is pushed upward, a resilient rib 32 of the actuating switch 30 interlocked with the water-dispensing button 24 is also pushed upward so that the actuating switch 30 can be turned on. The dispensing port 26 is opened upon reception of a signal from the actuating switch 30 and allows water to be dispensed outside.
However, such a conventional refrigerator described above has the following problems.
Since the water-dispensing button 24 is generally operated by a cup, the dispensing port 26 is inevitably installed in the vicinity of the water-dispensing button 24 to securely deliver water to the cup. Further, the resilient rib 32 of the actuating switch 30 is connected directly to the water-dispensing button 24 in the prior art. Thus, the actuating switch 30, the water-dispensing button 24 and the dispensing port 26 are inevitably installed to be closer to one another.
In view of such a constitution, water may be easily transferred to the actuating switch 30 if the direction of the water discharged from the dispensing port 26 deviates slightly or water leaks out at a connection of the dispensing port 26 to the water supply tube 20. Moreover, since the resilient rib 32 is connected directly to the water supply button 24, water splashed on the water-dispensing button 24 may be transferred to the actuating switch 30 via the resilient rib 32.
Consequently, since water may be easily transferred to the actuating switch 30 in the prior art, a short circuit may occur in the actuating switch, resulting in damage to the actuating switch 30 in critical circumstances.